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The Hitching Went Without a Hitch!

This is our last night here in Lindeneau/Concrete/Westhoff/Smiley, Texas.

I’m writing this in the early hours of Monday morning. We’ve been subbing at a gate since the second week in November. We had a mini Thanksgiving vacation and then came back to the same rig. That ends today.

Scott (our FS) came by yesterday morning to tell Heidi that the gig is up and the regular gate guards will be here this morning. If you’ve been following Fork for a while, you know that we’ve had a few hitching up issues with the new 5th wheel. Heidi had developed a rather serious case of HUAD (hitching up anxiety disorder).

She woke me up at 4 yesterday afternoon so we could hitch up before dark. The last thing you want to be in this business is two women who can’t even handle their own RV! I donned my I Do All My Own Stunts shirt and I’m happy to report that it took us exactly 8 minutes! We’re all hitched up with no place to go and ready to roll! We’re lilting to the left again tonight but at least Heidi can set her HUAD aside and get some sleep, if all the blood doesn’t rush to her head. 🙂

I will, of course, work tonight and stay up until tomorrow night and try to get back on a day schedule. Scott also said there’s no room in the inn Gate Guard park in Gonzales so we’ll head out to an RV park until another gate opens up.

We want to stay with Jamie, which means, we may have to wait a while. You just never know in the business do you? I don’t know if we’ll have a good internet connection or not, so I’m not sure when I’ll write again.

They’re putting a pipe line in right across from our RV. It’s been interesting to watch. I thought I’d share some photos.

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The guys start arriving around 5 a.m. I’ve slept through most of the action, but Heidi kindly took some pictures for me. I may not see it, but I feel it. It’s been a lot like living on a fault line. I keep dreaming of earthquakes. 🙂

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Since I don’t have a lot fun facts about the pipe line, I’ll add a few Texas quotes.

No man in the wrong can stand up against a fellow that’s in the right an keeps on a-comin. ~ Texas Ranger Captain W. J. McDonald

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Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which in Texas is called ‘walking” ~ George W Bush

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They say California’s the big burrito; Texas is the big taco and Florida is the big tamale. ~ Dan Rather

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Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. ~ John Steinbeck

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I must say as to what I have seen of Texas, it is the garden spot of the world, the best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here. – Davey Crockett

19 thoughts on “The Hitching Went Without a Hitch!”

dear gaye – we would have liked it to be about 2 days. It’s been 8 but we’re trusting the right spot will turn up soon. If you know anyone in Cedar Rapids that needs a place to live, Heidi’s renters moved out last weekend. That’s going to make things a bit tight for a while.
I hope you had a fabulous time in Japan!
love you,
Debbie

Hope that you Ladies are safely parked tonight and enjoying yourself., Maybe it will not belong and you will be back on a gate. Hope that you have internet so we can keepup with what you are doing.
Our Rig has hit td and they are running casing say they will be out of here by the week-en and as usual we are not in the know as to what we are doing yet.

Hope to see you two down this way. I would have ask if there was room anywhere in the GGS yard in Jamie area. I don’t know if they have one here in Karnes City, but on the Old RV forum someone was saying there was one here. But i don’t know if there is. Have a good one keep the chin up.

Hi Betty – I’m so far behind on reading blogs and answering comments. We’ve been in Whitsett at the GGS yard for a week now. Looks like there may be a spot for us by the weekend.
Take care up there. Sounds like we’re all in for some rough weather!
Debbie

Hope you two ladies get your preferred gate real soon. Thanks for the pipe welding pics, kinda’ wished I had chosen that career, just travel with your weldin’ truck where the work is!
Thanks again and stay safe you two!

Tom – So great to hear from you! I hope you and Cathy are doing well? I’m writing this on the 23rd, so we’ve been off work for a week. Jamie thinks he’ll have a spot for us by the end of this week.
Thanks for keeping in touch.
Tornado warnings in the forecast for tomorrow.
Debbie

Oh, I so FEEL the pain. . .after dropping the fifth wheel on the truck for the second time (it was a long time ago) I still have a few hook up anxieties of my own. . .one being that I must be able to see the little teeth clamped around the post. . .and two being that I must see the little padlock safely secured and locked tight to the release arm. . .that’s all. . .I’m good! Oh. . .and did I mention that I hold my breath until I actually see the rig following along behind us. . .just sayin’

Janice – Oh, so you really DO KNOW!
Dropping it wasn’t nearly as bad as me ripping the side of it off on the palm tree – but the hitching and unhitching come up a lot more often than palm trees (thank goodness)!
We have a padlock now, too! Whew!
I think Heidi starts to breath after the first or second mile. She’s a little blue in the cheeks until then! 😉
Debbie

Yes, I do agree, hitting something with it, and damaging the rig is worse. . .although, explaining to the body shop why we had two huge dents on TOP of the fenders (this was before the RV Hauler) was a little daunting. They found it amusing. . .me, not so much! LOL!

Now, I think you should take all of your hilarious posts, and put them into book form. . .seriously. Name it. . .Two Adventurous Girls Learning to Live in Our RV while Gate Guarding” or something equally silly. . .Nick from Gypsy Journal has all his books listed on Amazon. . .and he’s been selling a 1000 books per day of his Big Lake mystery book for Kindle. . .

You’re a great writer. . .I bet lots of folks would be interested in your story as well!